Church in india

How has it come about in Christianity

in spite of Christ’s values?

Caste / Class discrimination in Our Country

Could we not prevent it at the beginning?

11.raw

Any Religion has its Basis and Expression

on

•Divine Inspiration

•Experience

•Doctrines and Dogmas.

•Divinely inspired religion expresses and finds its

existence in an existing culture

•. Thus religion is an aspect or a part and parcel of a

culture.

•Culture by nature, often consists various groups/

classes/castes etc.

The three basic realities of India are

1. Religious Pluralism

2. Economic Imbalance

3. Casteism

• India is a country largely

dominated by Hindus and

caste system is the backbone of

Hinduism

•Caste and Hinduism cannot

be separated.

To put things clearly, it would be

better to say that Christianity

entered a caste ridden society,

rather than saying, - caste system

entered Christianity.

Christianity having born in a different culture

came to India where the predominant culture

was caste based.

Thus to question that

How caste/class complex entered Christianity?

is in fact wrong question to ask.

In this case caste system is like a base structure on

which religion of Christianity came to stand.

•Can a superstructure throw away the base

structure…….????

•Can religion over power culture?

For us this looks a herculean task.

Yet living true to Christ’s values early missionaries have tried

a to form a society of love and equality. Various methods have been

used.

e.g. Robert De Nobile and Beschi

To put things together, the

religious values have not largely

succeeded in over powering

basic/deep rooted cultural values

and thus the oppressive

practices like caste and class

continue to exist among

Christians.

Kind of catechism we need

to prevent the caste system in India?

CCC 1934

•All are equal in God’s sightinsofar as all have the same creator.

Every kind of social, racist, sexist, cultural or religious

discrimination against a person

is unacceptable and injustice.

Pope John Paul II

•Civilization of Love

•Open Minded

“Our life should be a gospel to others”

LG 16: Accept Everybody: Jn 17: 21

CCC 14 - Equal Dignity

CCC 1934 also says, “Redeemed by the sacrifice of

Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine

beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity” `

GS –Speaking about common good says hierarchy is a part of

religious institutions and that that helps to create order. yet

unlike in some other religions, church makes it clear that

hierarchy in Christianity should in no way be oppressive.

“Every human community needs an authority

in order to survive and develop.”

CCC - 1903

An order established by God

only when it seeks the common good..CCC - 1920

Common Good“Sum total of social conditions

which allow people, either as groups

or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment

more fully and more easily.”

CCC- 1906

Common Good Consists of ...

(1) Respect for and promotion of the fundamental rights of the

person.

(2) Prosperity or the development of the spiritual and

temporal goods of society.

(3) The peace and security of the group and of its members”

(CCC#1925).

God Shows No PartialityCCC – 1925

Acts 10: 34

Need to stress on –Christian Love

Scriptural Basis

•1Cor 1:10-13

•Lk 11:17

•Ps 133:1-3

Stress on Unity and Equaltiy

Suggestions

•Shift from our pious devotions to radical

life practices

•Focus on the catechism of adults

•Orthodoxy to the orthopraxis

•Greater focus on conscientizing the Youth

•As Religious and as Priests

We need to be

Free

convinced of our value system,

Daring enough to challenge, the oppressive societal

structures.

Experience Based Catechism

Thank You